Councilman Mark Levin- Zika Virus etc,

Lawrence -- Concerns about Zika Virus are growing as more confirmed cases emerge in New York City. Each confirmed case of Zika Virus in New York City has been linked to travel to the affected countries in Central and South America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Because so many across upper Manhattan and throughout our diverse city are deeply connected to these areas, it’s important that New Yorkers have the facts and can take necessary precautions to avoid contracting the virus. New York City is working to educate every resident with ties to impacted regions as well as anyone inclined to travel there about ways to minimize exposure to the virus and maximize safety. The first message to women who are pregnant and those considering pregnancy is to postpone travel to affected countries. While the CDC deliberates over the role of condoms in preventing the transmission of Zika Virus, condoms of course, remain highly effective at preventing sexually transmitted diseases. The City is also urging healthcare providers to offer free laboratory testing for Zika and ultrasound exams to pregnant women who traveled to impacted areas. And the NYC Health Department is continually updating its guidelines on Zika to incorporate the most current information available from both the state Health Department and CDC. Below, is a list of updated recommendations to help keep you and your family informed. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call my office at 212-928-6814, or send us an email at district7@council.nyc.gov. Best, Mark New Recommendations from the NYC Department of Health For Pregnant Women: Until we know more, if a male sexual partner has traveled to or lives in an area with active Zika virus transmission, the male and female partners should abstain from sex or use condoms the right way every time they have vaginal, anal, and oral sex for the duration of the pregnancy. Obstetricians caring for women who traveled while pregnant or became pregnant while in a Zika-affected region, whether or not they have symptoms consistent with Zika virus infection, should consider offering their patients Laboratory testing for Zika virus infection Regular ultrasound examinations Measures to prevent mosquito bites in areas with active mosquito infestations: Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. All EPA-registered insect repellents are evaluated for effectiveness. Always follow the product label instructions. Reapply insect repellent as directed. Do not spray repellent on the skin under clothing. If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen before applying insect repellent. If you have a baby or child: Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months of age. Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs, or Cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with mosquito netting. Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, and cut or irritated skin. Adults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face. In especially mosquito-dense areas, consider treating clothing and gear with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated items. Treated clothing remains protective after multiple washings. See product information to learn how long the protection will last. If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully. Do NOT use permethrin products directly on skin. They are intended to treat clothing. Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Council Passes Parks Bill to Slash Fees at Rec Centers for Vets and People with Disabilities I’m thrilled the City Council passed a bill I sponsored with Veterans Committee Chair Eric Ulrich that would slash fees at city-run recreation centers for veterans and people with disabilities. Facilities, such as swimming pools and weight rooms can offer important venues for the kind of exercise regimen which is required for either rehabilitation or maintenance of long-term health. Recreation centers are also especially important to veterans and people with disabilities because they offer valuable opportunities for social interactions with their neighbors that can help in overcoming the kind of isolation caused by physical or emotional impediments that's all too common in these populations. Veterans and people with disabilities face rates of poverty and unemployment that are higher than the population as a whole, making it difficult for them to pay the annual fee for joining our recreation centers. This has been especially true since 2011 when the Parks Department nearly doubled the fee to $150 per year. And private health clubs or YMCAs are even farther out of reach, with annual fees that can total $800 or more. For these reasons and more, our bill will help these groups live active, healthy lifestyles at an affordable cost by mandating at least a 75 percent discount at recreation centers, while codifying the same reduced fee for young adults and seniors. Community Updates Extended Operating Hours for STD Clinics The Health Department has announced expanded hours for its STD clinics, including new weekend hours. Seven STD clinics will offer services Monday through Friday, with Saturday hours available at the Riverside and Fort Greene locations. Because of a new $500,000 investment – part of the NYC Plan to End the Epidemic – total clinic hours will expand by 10 additional hours per week. The new service expansions are a component of the city’s effort to effectively end the AIDS epidemic.The clinic schedule changes will increase access to HIV testing, and will bring at-risk New Yorkers into contact with the healthcare system. See the list of clinic hours below: New Clinic Schedule Clinic Address New Hours* Jamaica 90-37 Parsons Blvd, 1st Fl. Jamaica, NY 11432 Monday - Friday                                    8:30 AM - 3:30 PM Crown Heights 1218 Prospect Pl, 2nd Floor Brooklyn NY 11213 Monday - Friday                                   8:30 AM - 3:30 PM Fort Greene 295 Flatbush Ave Ext, 2ndFl.;Brooklyn NY 11201 Monday - Friday                                   Saturday (first come, first served) 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM 8:30 AM - 12:00PM Riverside 160 W 100th St, 1st Floor New York, NY 10025 Monday - Friday                                     Tuesday & Thursday                             Saturday (first come, first served)     8:30 AM - 3:30 PM 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM 8:30 AM - 12:00PM Central Harlem 2238 Fifth Ave, 1st Floor New York NY 10037 Monday - Friday                                     8:30 AM - 3:30 PM Manhattanville Renaissance 21 Old Broadway, 2nd Floor New York NY 10027 Monday - Friday                               8:30 AM - 3:30 PM Morrisania 1309 Fulton Ave, 2nd Fl. Bronx, NY 10456 Monday - Friday                                   8:30 AM - 3:30 PM Corona 34-33 Junction Blvd, 1st Fl. Jackson Heights, NY 11372   Wednesday & Friday                             8:30 AM - 3:30 PM *From open until closed for intake National Girls & Women in Sports Day 2016 Saturday, February 27 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.Hansborough Recreation Center, Center 35 West 134 Street Featuring sports clinics, fitness classes, aquatics sports & fitness and much more! Additional detail will following in the upcoming weeks. Event is FREE and open to the public! Early Childhood Literacy Resources     City’s First Readers is a City Council sponsored collaboration of nonprofit organizations that provides programs and services to build literacy skills for young children. The organization operates in all five boroughs fostering the literacy development of NYC children, ages 0-5. You can learn more about City’s First Readers and find a program near you by visiting http://www.citysfirstreaders.com/ Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group PresentationFebruary 22 at 6 p.m. Hostelling International, 891 Amsterdam Avenue (103rd Street) Join presenter Jim Mackin for a presentation on the Straus Family. The event will be about the family, their life in the Bloomingdale neighborhood and the history of the park that was named after them. The event is free to all. Hostelling International USA Travel Scholarship HI USA believes that travel should be as much about making a difference in the world as it is about seeing it, so they have created the Explore the World Travel Scholarship. Recipients of the scholarship receive $2,000 to help finance their international trip as long as they have an educational or service component to their itinerary. Follow the link for more information on how to apply: http://www.hiusa.org/new-york/travel-scholarships Open Computer Lab Help Thursday, February 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. George Bruce Library, 518 West 125th Street Bring your technology questions and get one on one assistance For more information, call the library at 212-662-9727 or visit this webpage. Mid-winter Recess Camp for Children Ages 3-8 Looking for a new solution to the winter blues? At Mid-winter Recess Camp, Sugar Hill Children's Museum Teaching Artists will guide children in a process of telling their stories as they create books using a rich array of colorful and textural materials. The camp runs from February 15 - February 19. For more information or to sign up, use this link. If you have any questions or concerns, you may call the museum at 212-335-0004 or email Jennifer Ifil- Ryan at jen@sugarhillmuseum.org.   **For additional community updates, please visit the community calendar on my website. 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